Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of the French

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

painting by Baron François Gérard, c1807. source: Wikipedia

Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of the French; Credit – Wikipedia

Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. She was born Marie-Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (known as Rose), on June 23, 1763, in Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique, the eldest daughter of Joseph-Gaspard Tascher, Seigneur de la Pagerie, and Rose Claire des Vergers de Sannois.

Joséphine had two younger sisters:

  • Catherine-Désirée Tascher de La Pagerie (1764 – 1777)
  • Marie-Françoise Tascher de La Pagerie (1766 – 1791)

Joséphine’s childhood was spent on the Caribbean island of Martinique, a French possession, where her father owned a large plantation. However, after their home was destroyed by a hurricane in 1766, and combined with her father’s mismanagement of the land, the family lost much of their fortune. Young Rose did not attend school until she was ten years-old, when she was finally sent to a religious boarding school in the nearby town of Fort Royal, now Fort-de-France.

Joséphine’s aunt was the mistress of François V de Beauharnais, Viscount de Beauharnais, and had arranged a marriage between the Viscount’s son, Alexandre and Rose’s younger sister Catherine-Désirée in 1777. However, after Catherine-Désirée died in 1777, it was decided that Rose would become his bride. On December 13, 1779, she married Alexandre de Beauharnais in Noisy-le-Grand, France. Rose and Alexandre’s descendants sit on the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Rose and Alexandre’s children:

The marriage was unhappy, and Alexandre wasted most of his fortune. In December 1785, the couple separated. Rose and her children took up residence at the Pentemont Abbey in Paris. In March 1794, her estranged husband was arrested during the Reign of Terror. Despite their separation, Rose was also arrested in April 1794 and held in the Carmes prison. Alexandre was sentenced to death and executed by guillotine on July 23, 1794. Rose was released five days later, and the following year was able to reclaim her late husband’s possessions.

“The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries”, painted by Jacques-Louis David, 1812. source: Wikipedia

“The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries” painted by Jacques-Louis David, 1812. source: Wikipedia

Through those years of separation, Rose had several affairs and had become prominent in Parisian society. In 1795, she met her future husband Napoleon Bonaparte, and quickly became his mistress. They became engaged in January 1796 and married on March 9, 1796 in Paris. It was Napoleon who began calling her Joséphine, the name with which history has remembered her. Two days after the wedding, Napoleon left to fight in Italy, leaving his new wife alone. She soon began an affair with Hippolyte Charles, a lieutenant in the French forces. The affair lasted for several years until Napoleon threatened to divorce her, and she ended her relationship with Charles.

In April 1799, while her husband was away, fighting in the Egyptian Campaign, Joséphine purchased the Château de Malmaison, a few miles outside Paris. A large manor house set on nearly 150 acres, Malmaison was run down and needed significant restoration. Joséphine spent large amounts of money to create a home fit for an Emperor and Empress and devoted much of her time to developing the gardens and grounds. She had an orangery built to grow pineapple plants and a greenhouse where she grew several hundred plants that had not been grown in France before. She also developed a magnificent rose garden with over 250 different varieties of roses from around the world. In addition, she gathered a menagerie of animals that roamed in the gardens, many brought from Australia after the Baudin expedition of 1800-1803.

The crowning of Empress Joséphine, from “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Joséphine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804”, painted by Jacques-Louis David. source: Wikipedia

Crowning of Empress Joséphine, from “The Consecration of Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of  Empress Joséphine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804” painted by Jacques-Louis David. source: Wikipedia

In November 1799, Napoleon was named First Consul of the French Republic, and the couple took up residence at the Tuileries Palace. Five years later, on May 18, 1804, Joséphine became Empress of the French when her husband was elected Emperor. They were crowned in a lavish coronation ceremony held at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, on December 2, 1804.

While Joséphine was able to provide a lovely home for her husband, the one thing she was unable to give him was an heir. Without a son, Napoleon had named Joséphine’s grandson (and his nephew), Napoleon Charles Bonaparte, as his heir. After the young Napoleon died in 1807, the Emperor considered finding another wife who could provide him with a son. In November 1809, he told Joséphine that he planned to divorce her and find a new wife.

painting by Andrea Appiani. source: Wikipedia

Joséphine, painting by Andrea Appiani. c1808. source: Wikipedia

Joséphine agreed to a divorce, and an elaborate divorce ceremony was held on January 10, 1810. Joséphine retained her title as Empress and her rank at court and received an annual pension of 5 million francs. She received several residences, including the Château de Navarre in Normandy and the Élysée Palace in Paris. Napoleon would later ask her to return the  Élysée Palace for his use and offered her the Château de Laeken in present-day Belgium instead. Napoleon had created Joséphine Duchess of Navarre at the time of their divorce. After living at the Château de Navarre for two years, Joséphine returned to the Château de Malmaison, where would live for the rest of her life.

On May 29, 1814, Joséphine died at the age of 50 from pneumonia. She was buried in the nearby church of Saint-Pierre-Saint Paul in Rueil-Malmaison, France, in a temporary vault. In 1825, Joséphine’s remains were transferred to the tomb ordered by her two children Eugene and Hortense. Napoleon’s true love had been his first wife and his last words were, “France, army, head of the army, Joséphine.”

Tomb of Empress Joséphine at Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Church; Credit – Wikipedia

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Napoléon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Napoléon Bonaparte, Credit – Wikipedia

Napoleone di Buonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, in his family’s ancestral home Casa Buonaparte in the town of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica.  He was the fourth of the twelve children and the third of the six sons of Carlo Maria di Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Ramolino.

Napoleon’s siblings:

When he was in his twenties, he adopted the more French-sounding Napoléon Bonaparte.  At the time of his birth, Corsica was part of France, and a year later ownership was transferred to the Republic of Genoa.  Today, Corsica belongs to France.

Napoléon joined the French army and quickly advanced.  During the latter part of the French Revolution, he rose to prominence and by the age of 30 was the First Consul of France.  Napoléon was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815.

Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress Joséphine; Credit – Wikipedia

Napoléon married Joséphine de Beauharnais (born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean) in 1796.  Through her first marriage to  Alexandre de Beauharnais (who was guillotined during the French Revolution), Joséphine is the ancestor of the royal families of Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, and Luxembourg. Joséphine was crowned Empress of the French during Napoléon’s coronation at Notre Dame in Paris in 1804.

Napoleon crowns his wife Josephine; Credit – Wikipedia

Joséphine and Napoléon’s marriage was childless and in 1809, Napoléon decided to divorce his wife so he could marry again and his new wife produce an heir.  Desperately upset upon first hearing the news about the divorce, Joséphine ultimately agreed.  After their divorce, Napoléon insisted that Joséphine retain the title of Empress.  Napoléon married Marie Louise of Austria, the eldest child of Emperor Franz I of Austria and his second wife, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily.  Marie Louise gave birth to a son Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte in 1811.  Young Napoléon died of tuberculosis at the age of 21. Regarding Marie Louise, Napoléon said that he had married a womb.

Empress Marie Louise with her son: Credit – Wikipedia

In the early part of the 19th century, Napoléon’s quest for power led to wars throughout a large part of Europe.  In 1814, Paris was captured by the coalition fighting against Napoléon and his marshals decided to mutiny.  He had no choice but to abdicate.  The Treaty of Fontainebleau exiled Napoléon to the Mediterranean island of Elba, 12 miles/20 km off the coast of Tuscany, Italy.

Napoléon escaped from Elba on February 26, 1815, and arrived in France two days later.  He attempted to regain power, but he was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, by a coalition of forces from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Nassau, Brunswick, and Prussia.

Napoléon was exiled to the island of Saint Helena, a British possession, in the Atlantic Ocean, 1162 miles/1,870 km from the west coast of Africa.  His health declined due to the harsh conditions and by 1821, his health was all but failing.  He died on May 5, 1821, at the age of 51 and his last words were, “France, army, head of the army, Joséphine.”  Napoléon was buried in a nameless tomb in the Valley of the Willows on St. Helena.

Death of Napoléon painted by Charles de Steuben, Credit – Wikipedia

In 1840, Louis Philippe I, King of the French, received permission from the British to return Napoléon’s remains to France.  The French called this retour des cendres (return of the ashes).   On December 15, 1840, a state funeral was held.  The funeral procession traveled from the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs-Élysées, across the Place de la Concorde to the Esplanade des Invalides, and finally to St. Jerome’s Chapel, where Napoléon’s remains stayed until the tomb designed by Louis Visconti was completed.

Napoléon’s funeral cortege along the Champs-Élysées in Paris, Credit – Wikipedia

Today, Napoléon’s remains rest in a huge tomb made of red quartzite on a green granite base under the dome of Les Invalides.  On April 2, 1861, Naploéon’s coffin was transferred from St. Jerome’s Chapel to the new tomb during a ceremony attended by  Emperor Napoléon III (Napoleon’s nephew and Joséphine’s grandson), his wife Empress Eugénie, and their only child Prince Imperial Louis Napoléon along with other related princes and government officials.

Tomb of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French at Les Invalides in Paris; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

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Maria Antonia of Austria, Queen of France (Marie Antoinette)

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Marie Antoinette, painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, c1783. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette, painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, c1783. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie Antoinette of France was born Archduchess Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, on November 2, 1755, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Her parents were Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in her own right and Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor Maria Antonia was the fifteenth of her parents’ sixteen children.

Maria Antonia’s siblings:

Educated privately at home, Maria Antonia was not a very good student, especially compared to her siblings. However, she did become an accomplished musician, playing the flute, harp, and harpsichord. She was particularly close to her sister Maria Carolina who was just three years older.

The marriage of Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste, 17xx. source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste, 1770. source: Wikipedia

After establishing peace with France, Empress Maria Theresa agreed to a marriage between Maria Antonia and Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France (the future King Louis XVI). Maria Antonia was just 13 when the engagement was announced on June 13, 1769. The couple married by proxy on April 19, 1770, at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria. She took the French version of her name, becoming Marie Antoinette, Dauphine of France. The following month, she arrived in her new country and met her husband for the first time. Two days later, on May 16, 1770, she and Louis-Auguste were married in a grand ceremony held in the Chapel Royal of the Palace of Versailles. They went on to have four children:

As the new Dauphine of France, Marie Antoinette received a mixed reception.  Well-liked by the common people, particularly due to her beauty and warm personality, she was distrusted by those who still held resentment over the country’s contentious relationship with Austria.  Upon becoming Queen when King Louis XV in May 1774, she found that she had little influence on her husband, often finding her requests being blocked by two of his ministers. To appease her, King Louis XVI gave her the Petit Trianon on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, built by King Louis XV as a home for his mistress Madame de Pompadour.  However, she died before its completion, and it became the home of her successor Madame du Barry who had a tense relationship with Marie Antoinette.  The chateau became Marie Antoinette’s retreat, where she could escape the immense pressure and judgment she faced in the French court.

Marie Antoinette also had a small hamlet built within the grounds of the Petit Trianon, known as the Queen’s Hamlet (Hameau de la reine).  The hamlet contained numerous buildings, including the Queen’s House, a mill, a dairy, and a farm.  It was here that the Queen truly found her privacy, allowing only her closest friends and family to visit her there.

Two years later, King Louis XVI purchased the Château de Saint-Cloud from Louis Phillipe I, Duke of Orleans for his wife.  Marie Antoinette felt the clear air outside the city would be better for her children.  As she had done with the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette transformed her new home, expanding the building and decorating it with lavish furniture commissioned specifically for the chateau.

Marie Antoinette in court dress, c1788. Painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette in court dress, c1788. Painted by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. source: Wikipedia

As Queen, Marie Antoinette was often criticized for her spending, indulging in lavish gowns and other luxuries while the country was in a financial crisis.  This would contribute to a growing animosity from the French people and the “old guard” within the French court.  She introduced new styles in clothing and hairstyles and indulged herself in music and theater.  Over time, she began to exert more political influence, encouraging her husband to replace several of his older ministers, and prodding him to become involved in the American Revolution.  Along with gaining the support of Russia and Austria in efforts to block Great Britain’s attack, she also pushed strongly for the appointment of several ministers who helped in the American defeat of the British.

By the mid-1780s, Marie Antoinette was the subject of endless gossip and character attacks from the French people.  Rumors abounded that her second son was not fathered by her husband, that she was treating the French treasury as her own bank account, and that she held Austrian interests ahead of French interests.  In 1785, she was falsely accused in the Diamond Necklace Affair, further damaging her reputation.  Attempting to improve her image, she began to focus more publicly on the upbringing and education of her children, and spending more time in her public role and duties as Queen.  However, the tides of revolution were soon to come to the shores of France.  By 1789, the King had lost much of his absolute power to the National Assembly, and the majority of French people saw no benefit in retaining the monarchy.

Marie Antoinette facing the mob at the Tuileries Palace, June 1792. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette facing the mob at the Tuileries Palace, June 1792. source: Wikipedia

After a failed attempt to escape Paris in 1791 ended what little support was left for the monarchy, the royal family was held under house arrest at the Tuileries Palace.  On June 20, 1792, a mob broke into the Palace, threatening the Queen’s life.  Spared this time, her luck would not be so good several months later when another mob stormed the palace on August 10, 1792.  This time, the family sought refuge at the Legislative Assembly but were arrested several days later, and imprisoned at the Temple.  On September 21, 1792, France officially abolished the monarchy and became a Republic.  Marie Antoinette, her husband, and their family were stripped of their titles and honors, becoming known simply as Monsieur and Madame Capet.

King Louis XVI was soon separated from his family and charged with undermining the French Republic.  He was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death.  The former King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793.

Marie Antoinette while a prisoner at The Temple, painted by Alexandre Kucharski c1792. source: Wikipedia

Marie Antoinette while a prisoner at The Temple, painted by Alexandre Kucharski c1792. source: Wikipedia

While held as a prisoner in the Temple, Marie Antoinette and her children were the cause of much debate, as the National Convention tried to determine what should be done with the former Queen.  While some argued she should be put to death, others suggested holding her for ransom from the Holy Roman Empire, exchanging her for French prisoners of war, or exiling her to America.  In July 1793, her son was taken from her, with the intent of turning him against his mother.  Weeks later, on August 1, she was taken from the Temple and placed in a small cell in the Conciergerie. The once Queen of the French was now known as ‘Prisoner No. 280’.

On October 14, 1793, Marie Antoinette was tried by the Revolutionary Tribunal.  Among other things, she was charged with organizing orgies at Versailles, sending millions in French treasury money to Austria, and planning the massacre of the National Guards. There were also charges of incest with her son.  Two days later, she was found guilty of the main charges and sentenced to death.

Execution of Marie Antoinette, source: Wikipedia

Execution of Marie Antoinette, source: Wikipedia

Just after noon on October 16, 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine in the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde). She was buried in an unmarked grave in the Madeleine Cemetery. In 1815, her remains, along with those of her husband, were re-interred at the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

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King Louis XVI of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Louis XVI of France; Credit – Wikipedia

King Louis XVI of France reigned from 1774 until 1792, losing his throne and his life as a result of the French Revolution. He was born Louis-Auguste, Duc de Berry, on August 23, 1754, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France,  the third son of Louis, Dauphin of France (son of King Louis XV) and Maria Josepha of Saxony. He had seven siblings:

As a younger son, Louis-Auguste was not given the same attention his older brother received. But he excelled in his studies – Latin, history, geography, and astronomy, and became fluent in several languages. As his older brother had died, Louis-Auguste became the Dauphin – heir to the French throne – upon his father’s death in 1765 from tuberculosis. His mother died two years later. His education continued under the direction of the Duc de La Vauguyon, studying religion, humanities, and morality. He would later find that he was unprepared to assume the throne.

In 1770, his grandfather King Louis XV allied with Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, and soon a marriage was arranged between the two dynasties. Louis-Auguste became engaged to Empress Maria Theresa’s youngest daughter Maria Antonia. The two were second cousins, once removed, through their mutual descent from Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.

The marriage of Louis-Auguste and Maria Antoinette, May 16, 1770. source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Louis-Auguste and Maria Antoinette, May 16, 1770. source: Wikipedia

After a marriage by proxy at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria, the young bride took on the French version of her name Marie Antoinette, and soon made her way to France. The couple first met on May 14, 1770, in Compiègne, France, and were married two days later in the chapel at the Palace of Versailles. Because of the recent Seven Years’ War, and the general animosity toward Austria, there was much public hostility against the marriage. Eventually, despite not having consummated their marriage until 1777, the couple had four children:

Queen Marie Antoinette with the couple's three eldest children, painted by Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, c1786. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie Antoinette with the couple’s three eldest children, painted by Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, c1786. source: Wikipedia

Upon his grandfather’s death, Louis-Auguste became King Louis XVI of France on May 10, 1774. Just 19 years old, and notably unprepared for his role, he faced growing distrust of the monarchy and a country deeply in debt. However, he initially gained support from the French people, often considering public opinion when making decisions. His coronation was held on June 11, 1775, at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims.  In 1787, he issued the Edict of Versailles, to counteract the religious persecution that had been in place since the Edict of Fontainebleau 102 years earlier. Non-Catholics in France were given the right to openly practice their religion, and received legal and civil status.

Loius XVI’s attempts at financial reforms angered the French people and contributed to the fall of the monarchy. As he saw his power diminishing, he was forced to convoke the Estates-General for the first time since 1614, to come up with solutions to the dire financial problems of the French government. Divided into three groups – the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the common people (Third Estate), they quickly came to an impasse over how votes would be taken. Eventually, in June 1789, the Third Estate declared itself as the National Assembly and asked the other two to join them, bringing about the outbreak of the French Revolution. Just weeks later, the revolutionaries stormed the Bastille. Within months, King Louis XVI saw the majority of his power handed over to the elected representatives of the French people.

With growing distrust in the monarchy and a quickly spreading hatred of the Austrian Queen Marie Antoinette, compounded once again by the King’s inability or unwillingness to make, and stick to, strong decisions, he soon found that he was losing the support of the more moderate politicians in the French government.  On October 5, 1789, an angry mob of women marched to Versailles, gaining entry to the palace with plans to kill Queen Marie Antoinette. After the intervention of the Marquis de Lafayette who calmed the crowd, the King and his family were brought to the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

The King and his family being brought back to Paris, June 25, 1791. From a drawing by Jean-Louis Prieur. source: Wikipedia

The King and his family being brought back to Paris, June 25, 1791. From a drawing by Jean-Louis Prieur. source: Wikipedia

With the monarchy’s future looking very bleak, King Louis XVI planned to escape Paris, to Montmédy in northeastern France where he would initiate a counter-revolution by joining with royalist troops. Know as the Flight to Varennes, the plan failed miserably.  Know as the Flight to Varennes, the plan failed miserably. On June 21, 1791, the King and his family secretly fled the palace but were captured and arrested the following day. Once again, the King’s indecisiveness and his misguided belief that the majority of his people supported him, led to the plan falling apart. Brought back to the Tuileries Palace, the family was placed under heavy security to prevent another chance of escape. Weeks later, on July 6, Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, and brother of Queen Marie Antoinette, issued the Padua Circular, calling on the other sovereigns of Europe to join together in demanding that King Louis XVI be given his freedom.

On August 27, 1791, Leopold II and King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, stating their support for King Louis XVI against the French Revolution. Interpreting this as the Emperor’s intention to go to war, the National Assembly instead declared war on Austria on April 20, 1792. However, the insufficient number of troops and the military’s disorganization caused their efforts to fail miserably. Soon, the Duke of Brunswick led a joint Prussian and Austrian army into France. On July 25, 1792, he issued the Brunswick Manifesto, stating that the Prussians and Austrians intended to restore King Louis XVI to his full power and would support this effort by any force necessary. The manifesto proved to be more harmful than helpful. To many, this reinforced their belief that the King was conspiring against his own country. Within weeks, the people revolted, storming the Tuileries Palace and forcing the royal family to take refuge in the Legislative Assembly on August 10, 1792.

The following day, King Louis XVI was arrested and imprisoned in the Temple in Paris. Five weeks later, on September 21, the National Assembly declared a Republic, abolishing the monarchy, and stripping the King and his family of all their titles and honors. The former King of France was now known as Citizen Louis Capet. The King was brought to trial in December 1792, with 33 charges against him. Despite bringing together some of the most esteemed legal experts to mount his defense, the King was found guilty on January 15, 1793. The following day, the National Convention, by a narrow margin, voted in favor of execution.

The Execution of King Louis XVI. source: Wikipedia

The Execution of King Louis XVI. source: Wikipedia

On the morning of January 21, 1793, Louis made his final confession and attended Mass. He then traveled by carriage from the Tower, through the streets of Paris, to the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde) where he was beheaded by guillotine. His body was taken to the Madeleine Cemetery, where a brief memorial service was held. His remains were dumped from their coffin into a grave, with his severed head placed at his feet. Years later, in 1815, on the anniversary of the King’s execution, the remains of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette,  also executed, were reinterred at the Basilica of Saint-Denis. On the site of his original burial, in the churchyard of La Madeleine, now stands the Chapelle expiatoire, built by King Louis XVIII in honor of his elder brother.

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Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1751, Frederick, Prince of Wales, heir to the throne and son of King George II of Great Britain, died at the age of 44. He left eight children, including the future King George III, and a pregnant wife Augusta of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg. Four months later, on July 22, 1751, at Leicester House in London, England, Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales was born.

Caroline Matilda had eight older siblings:

Family of Frederick, Prince of Wales painted in 1751 after the prince’s death; Credit – Wikipedia Front row: Henry, William, Frederick; Back row: Edward, George, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales holding Caroline Matilda, Elizabeth, Louisa

The new princess was christened Caroline Matilda, Caroline after her late paternal grandmother Caroline of Ansbach and Matilda after her Norman and Angevin ancestors, on August 1, 1751, at Leicester House in London by Thomas Hayter, Bishop of Norwich.  She was called Caroline Matilda to avoid confusion with her paternal aunt, one of her godparents.

Caroline Matilda’s godparents:

Caroline Matilda, age three; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda, considered the most attractive of the four sisters, was educated with Louisa, her elder sister by two years. While Caroline Matilda loved being outdoors and riding, Louisa suffered from poor health and eventually died of tuberculosis at the age of 19. Caroline Matilda was well educated, as were all her siblings, and could speak French, German, and Italian. Her two eldest brothers George and Edward moved out of Leicester House to their own household when Caroline Matilda was five years old. Her sister Elizabeth, who also suffered from delicate health like Louisa, died in 1759 at the age of 18.

In 1760, Caroline Matilda’s grandfather King George II died, and her brother succeeded to the throne as King George III. In 1764, her eldest sister Augusta married Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and left for her new home. Certainly, Caroline Matilda knew that royal children did not marry for love and that only unmarried princesses such as her paternal aunts, Princess Amelia and her godmother, Princess Caroline, stayed home in England. She certainly saw what it was like for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, her brother George’s 17-year-old bride, when she arrived in England alone, terrified, and unable to speak English.

Caroline Matilda (seated) and her sister Louisa Credit – Wikipedia

Another of Caroline Matilda’s paternal aunts Princess Louisa had married King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway. Louisa had given birth to five children in five years before her death at age 27 due to complications from a miscarriage. In 1766, Caroline Matilda’s 17-year-old first cousin succeeded to the Danish throne as King Christian VII after the early death of his father. Since there was a connection between the British and Danish royal families and both families were Protestant, it was natural that a British bride should be sought for Christian. Even before the death of King Frederik V, negotiations for such a marriage were started. The preferred choice for a bride was initially Caroline Matilda’s sister Louisa. However, when the Danish representative in London heard of her ill health, Caroline Matilda became the prospective bride. The betrothal was announced on January 10, 1765.

King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway, Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1, 1766, a proxy marriage was held at St. James’s Palace in London, with Caroline Matilda’s brother King George III standing in for King Christian VII. Fifteen-year-old Caroline Matilda soon left England for Denmark with a large contingent of attendants and servants. When she crossed the Danish border, Danish envoys sent her English attendants and servants back and replaced them with Danish ones. Caroline Matilda arrived in Copenhagen on November 8, 1766, and married Christian in person later that day in the Christiansborg Palace Chapel.

A copperplate engraving depicting the first dance of King Christian VII and Queen Caroline Mathilde at their wedding at Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda and Christian had two children, but Christian was probably not the father of Louise Auguste.

Engraving of the newborn Crown Prince Frederik with his mother Queen Caroline Matilda; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Louise Auguste as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda soon became a victim of the intrigues of Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, the second wife of Christian’s father, who coveted the succession for her son Frederik. Caroline Matilda also soon discovered that her husband was mentally ill. Christian was personable and intelligent as a child, but he was poorly educated and terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Reventlow, Count of Reventlow. It is unknown if Christian’s mental illness was caused by the brutal treatment of the Count of Reventlow, possibly porphyria inherited from his Hanover mother, or schizophrenia. Christian’s behavior wandered into excesses, especially sexual promiscuity. He publicly declared that he could not love Caroline Matilda because it was “unfashionable to love one’s wife”. His symptoms included paranoia, self-mutilation, and hallucinations.

In May 1768, Christian VII took a long tour of Europe, including stays in Altona (now in Germany, then in Denmark), Paris, and London. The trip had been arranged because it was believed that new environments could change Christian’s behavior. On this journey, Christian became acquainted with the physician Johann Friedrich Struensee.  Struensee was the first person who understood that Christian was seriously ill.  When Christian came home from the trip, Struensee accompanied him and was employed as Christian’s personal physician. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, which was a great relief to the king’s advisers, and Christian developed confidence in him.

Johann Friedrich Struensee; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of Christian’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power. In 1770, Struensee became Master of Requests and Minister of the Royal Cabinet. He also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When Caroline Matilda gave birth to her daughter Louise Auguste, no one doubted that Struensee was the father of the princess, who was given the unflattering nickname la petite Struensee, although Christian VII officially acknowledged her as his daughter. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria maneuvered a coup that would bring about the fall of Struensee and discredit Caroline Matilda.

Early on the morning of January 17, 1772, following a ball at the court theater at Christiansborg Palace, Christian was awakened and forced to sign arrest orders for Struensee, his friend Count Enevold Brandt, and Caroline Matilda. Caroline Matilda was immediately taken to Kronberg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark, immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, to await her fate. She was allowed to keep her daughter with her, but the four-year-old Crown Prince Frederik stayed with his father. Upon hearing of Caroline Matilda’s arrest, Struensee confessed to his relationship with her, and eventually, Caroline Matilda also confessed. Struensee and Brandt were condemned to death, and both suffered brutal executions. In the presence of thousands of people, their right hands were severed first, then their bodies were broken on the wheel, and finally, they were beheaded.

Johann Friedrich Struensee and his companion Brandt are beheaded in Copenhagen on April 28, 1772; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda and Christian’s marriage was dissolved on April 6, 1772.  She lost her title of Queen and was forcibly separated from her children, whom she never saw again. Caroline Matilda was not quite 20 years old. Originally, Caroline Matilda was to be held in custody for life at Aalborghus Castle in Aalborg, Denmark, but her brother King George III intervened. King George III sent Sir Robert Murray Keith, a British diplomat, to negotiate her release from Danish imprisonment. On May 28, 1772, Caroline Matilda was sent to Celle in her brother’s Kingdom of Hanover and lived the rest of her life at Celle Castle.

Celle Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda’s dowry was restored, and she was able to live in comfort, but she missed her children terribly. Her imprisonment was not to last long. Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever, on May 10, 1775, at the age of 23 at Celle Castle in Celle, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Celle next to his great-grandmother Sophie Dorothea of Celle, who suffered a similar fate.

Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle, Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda’s story was told in several novels, including Norah Loft’s The Last Queen (1969) and Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999), and also in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012). Stella Tillyard also covers Caroline Matilda’s affair in her nonfiction book A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings (2006). King George III’s six daughters had very sheltered upbringings, and they spent most of their time with their parents and each other. The living conditions of King George III’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry, and only three of the six daughters ever married. Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark.

The people of Celle raised money for a monument to Caroline Matilda, which stands in the French Garden in Celle, now in Lower Saxony, Germany.

The Caroline Matilda Memorial in Celle; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited
“Caroline Matilda of Great Britain.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Sept. 2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.
“Christian VII of Denmark.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.
Hadlow, Janice. A Royal Experiment. New York: Picador, 2014. Print.
“Johann Friedrich Struensee.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.
Susan. “Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 18 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.
Tillyard, Stella. A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings. New York: Random House, 2006. Print.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on July 31, 1737, at St. James’ Palace in London, Princess Augusta of Wales was the eldest of the nine children of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales. Born during the reign of her grandfather King George II of Great Britain, Augusta was the elder sister of King George III, the mother of King George IV‘s wife Caroline of Brunswick, and the grandmother of their daughter Princess Charlotte of Wales.

True to the Hanoverian tradition, Augusta’s father Frederick, the eldest son, did not get along with his parents. When it was announced that the Princess of Wales was pregnant with her first child, Queen Caroline doubted that there was a pregnancy and then doubted that her son was the father. She told Robert Walpole, “At her labour I positively will be present. I will be sure it is her child.” Agreeing with Queen Caroline, King George II insisted that the birth should take place in their presence at Hampton Court Palace.

When the Princess of Wales went into labor in the middle of the night at Hampton Court Palace where King George I and Queen Caroline were in residence, Frederick insisted that Augusta endure a bumpy carriage ride back to St. James’ Palace in London to prevent his hated parents from being present at the birth. Of course, there was no preparation for the birth and there was a frantic search for napkins, tablecloths, and warming pans to be used during the baby’s delivery. The couple’s first child Augusta was born within an hour of her mother’s arrival at Hampton Court Palace. John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey saw Augusta within a few hours of her birth and described the infant as “a little rat of a girl about the bigness of a good large toothpick case.”

When Queen Caroline was told how tiny the new princess was, she conceded that Frederick was the father. Afterward, the king ordered them to leave St. James’ Palace and they moved to Kew Palace. The Queen paid a visit to Frederick and Augusta before they left St. James’ Palace and expressed a wish that she never see them again. Queen Caroline got her wish as she died several months later without reconciling with her son and daughter-in-law.

The infant princess was christened Augusta Frederica on August 29, 1737, at St James’ Palace by John Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury.  Augusta’s paternal grandparents King George II and Queen Caroline were named as her godparents, but neither came to the christening and were represented by a proxy.

Augusta’s godparents were:

Augusta had eight younger siblings:

Family of Frederick, Prince of Wales painted in 1751 after the prince’s death; Credit – Wikipedia Front row: Henry, William, Frederick; Back row: Edward, George, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales holding Caroline Matilda, Elizabeth, Louisa

The family of Frederick, Prince of Wales lived at Leicester House which stood on present-day Leicester Square in London. In 1751, when Augusta was 13, her father Frederick, Prince of Wales died, leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. King George II then created his grandson George Prince of Wales. Augusta was a rather boisterous child and not afraid to express her opinions. She loved music, acting, and dancing, and participated in amateur theatricals, a favorite pastime of the royal family.

Augusta at the age of 17 by Jean-Etienne Liotard, 1754; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 25, 1760, King George II died, and his grandson became King George III at the age of 22. George’s choice for a wife fell upon an obscure German princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. On September 8, 1761, at 10 PM, George and Charlotte married in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace. On September 22, 1761, their coronation was held at Westminster Abbey.

Around the same time, negotiations for a marriage between Augusta and Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel were being held. Augusta and Karl were both great-grandchildren of King George I of Great Britain, so they were second cousins. The negotiations were slow because Augusta’s mother, now The Dowager Princess of Wales, did not like the House of Brunswick. Finally, the marriage negotiations were settled and Karl came to England in January of 1764 to marry Augusta. Karl had a military career during the Seven Years’ War of 1756-63 serving in the Hanoverian Army of Observation under Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, Augusta’s paternal uncle. On January 16, 1764, Augusta and Karl were married at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace.

Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by Gerrit Kamphuysen, 1763; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had seven children:

Augusta with her firstborn son Karl by Angelica Kauffman, 1767; Credit – Wikipedia

In March 1780, Karl succeeded his father as reigning Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. By that time, Augusta and Karl had four sons and three surviving daughters. Three of the couple’s four sons suffered from disabilities. Their eldest son Karl was named heir apparent but suffered from a significant learning disability. However, he married Frederika of Orange-Nassau, daughter of William V, Prince of Orange, who remained devoted to him. He died childless at the age of 40, shortly before his father. The second son, Georg suffered from an even more severe learning disability than his elder brother. He never married, was declared incapacitated, and was excluded from the succession. The couple’s third son August was blind, was also excluded from the succession, and also never married. The fourth son Friedrich Wilhelm had no health or developmental issues and eventually succeeded his father, married, and had children.

Augusta’s son, Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by Johann Christian August Schwartz, 1809; Credit – Wikipedia

Augusta never fully adapted to life in Brunswick nor was she well-liked.  Any popularity she had was damaged by the fact that her three eldest sons were born with handicaps. Although Augusta reported to her brother King George III that her marriage was happy, it was unhappy. Karl found Augusta dull and preferred to spend time with his mistresses.

In 1794, Augusta’s second daughter Caroline was chosen as a wife for her first cousin George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV). Caroline was rebellious and a tomboy who preferred playing with her brothers instead of with girls. She grew up not very educated in her mother Augusta’s uncultured court. Like many German princesses, she was brought up with no religious instruction to keep her options open for marriage to a prince of any religion. James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury had been sent to Brunswick to escort Caroline to England. Lord Malmesbury was astounded by her behavior and personal hygiene, and he blamed Caroline’s mother Augusta.  He wrote about Caroline’s hygiene: “It is remarkable how on this point her education has been neglected, and how her mother, though an Englishwoman, was inattentive to it.” Nevertheless, Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace in London.

Caroline of Brunswick shortly before her wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Caroline of Brunswick and the future King George IV is one of the worst-ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to one of his attendants, “Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later. They found each other equally unattractive and never lived together or appeared in public together. Caroline was prevented from seeing her daughter. She eventually went to live abroad where she ran up debts and had lovers. Caroline returned to England when her husband George became king and he promptly started divorce proceedings. However, a parliamentary bill dissolving the marriage and stripping Caroline of her title of Queen failed. Caroline was turned away from Westminster Abbey during her husband’s coronation in 1821. She died a few weeks later and her remains were shipped back to her native Brunswick where she was buried at Brunswick Cathedral. The inscription on her tomb reads, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

Augusta and her husband Karl; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1806, when Prussia declared war on France during the Napoleonic Wars, 71-year-old Karl, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Prussian Army. Karl was mortally wounded at the Battle of Jena and died a few weeks later. Brunswick was occupied by the French and the widowed and nearly penniless Augusta escaped to Sweden with two of her sons and a widowed daughter-in-law. In 1807, Augusta’s brother King George III sent a British naval ship to transport his sister back home to England.

Augusta was reunited with her brother King George III at Windsor Castle, but her sister-in-law Queen Charlotte, whom she never got along with, was not so cordial. Augusta lived at Montagu House in Blackheath, London with her daughter Caroline, Princess of Wales. Augusta got to know her granddaughter Princess Charlotte of Wales, who told her grandmother upon their first meeting “that she was the merriest old woman she ever saw.” In 1810, Augusta moved to a house on Hanover Square in London, and it was there that she died on March 23, 1813, at the age of 75. She was buried in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Works Cited
“Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2016. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
Fraser, Flora. Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. Print.
Hadlow, Janice. A Royal Experiment. New York: Picador, 2014. Print.
Hibbert, Christopher. George III. New York: Basic Books, 1998. Print.
“Princess Augusta of Great Britain.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Aug. 2016. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

UPDATED 10/15/16: World’s Longest Reigning Monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Dies

President Barack Obama, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador Kristie Kenney, left, meet with King Bhumibol Adulyadej of the Kingdom of Thailand, at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

UPDATED 10/15/16

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand died on October 13, 2016 at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand at the age of 88. The King had been ill for several years. At the time of his death, King Bhumibol was the world’s longest-reigning monarch, having reigned for 70 years and 126 days. According to the law of succession, the cabinet will inform the president of the National Assembly, who will invite Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to become king.  Mourning ceremonies, the funeral, and cremation are expected to take place in the future. When the late King’s sister Princess Galyani Vadhana died, her funeral was held ten months after her death.

Until now, canada pharmacy viagra the highest weekly rank an album by Chihara has achieved was #6 for Sing All Love, released in 2010. The doughnut hole was written into the Medicare Part D participants since June – and another 3 million expected to go out over the course of the fiscal year – are a small but positive purchase generic cialis http://cute-n-tiny.com/author/geek/ sign that someone in Washington has finally recognized the legislative folly of the Medicare Reform Act of 2003, the legislation that established Medicare prescription coverage for the elderly,. If encounter any undesirable side low cost tadalafil effect please counsel your doctor. But since, stress can get into the system around training times which has shown in numerous studies to vastly generic cialis improve performance and body composition. UPDATE 10/15/16: Prem Tinsulanonda, a former prime minister and head of Thailand’s royal advisory council since 1998, will serve as Regent of Thailand.  Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn did not want to be immediately named king to give the nation time to mourn his father’s death. Thailand’s constitution mandates that the head of the royal advisory council becomes Regent in this circumstance.

BBC: Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej dead at 88

Learn more about the Thai Royal Family at Unofficial Royalty: Thai Royal Family 

Marie Leszczyńska, Queen of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Maria Leszczyńska, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska was the wife of King Louis XV of France. She was born on June 23, 1703, in Trzebnica, Silesia (now Poland) to Stanisław I Leszczyński and his wife Catherine Opalińska. She had one older sister, Anna (born 1699), who died at the age of 18.

The year after her birth, her father was made King of Poland by King Carl XII of Sweden, who had invaded the country that year. He reigned as King Stanisław I until 1709 when the Swedish forces were defeated. The family took up residence in Kristianstad, Sweden, and became prominent members of Swedish society. They later moved to Zweibrücken, then personal union with Sweden, now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. After the death of King Carl XII,  the family moved to Wissembourg in France, where they were largely supported by Philippe I, Duke of Orléans who was serving as Regent for the young King Louis XV.  Maria’s father became King of Poland again in 1733, reigning until being forced to abdicate in 1736. He was then created Duke of Lorraine by his son-in-law King Louis XV.

King Louis XV of France; Credit – Wikipedia

After being suggested as a bride for several marriages, Maria was soon proposed as a potential wife for King Louis XV of France. King Louis XV had fallen ill, and being unmarried with no heir, plans were made to arrange a marriage for him as quickly as possible. Although engaged to Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, she was still a child and would be unable to provide an heir for quite some time. The engagement was ended, and the young Infanta was sent back to Spain. Meanwhile, Maria was just one of many potential brides and not near the top of the list. Initially removed from the list because of her lack of wealth, she was soon the preferred choice by all parties involved in the marriage discussions.

The marriage of King Louis XV and Maria Leszczyńska, source: Wikipedia

The couple was married by proxy on August 15, 1725, at the Cathedral of Strasbourg, at which point she took the French version of her name, Marie. Marie and Louis, who met the night before their wedding, were married in person in the chapel at the Château de Fontainebleau on September 5, 1725.

Marie and Louise had ten children:

Queen Marie with her son, the Dauphin, painted by Alexis Simon Belle, c1730. source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Marie and Louis XV was a success, and the two were very happy and in love. However, after nearly dying during the birth of her last child in 1737, Marie refused her husband’s romantic advances and their relationship quickly fell apart. By that time, King Louis had taken several mistresses, including the famed Madame de Pompadour. These women were often given positions in Queen Marie’s court against her wishes, causing Marie great distress. Only one, Madame de Pompadour, showed Marie the slightest bit of respect, and Marie was able to maintain a friendly relationship with her.

As Queen, Marie maintained the strict protocol and etiquette of the French court and fully embraced her role and responsibilities of her ceremonial role. However, when not at official functions, she preferred to retreat to her private apartments, spending time with a small group of close friends and confidants. She only once made a foray into politics, and that proved disastrous. Shortly after her marriage, Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon enlisted the new Queen to participate in a plot to banish Cardinal de Fleury from the King’s court. When it failed, it caused a temporary rift with her husband. From that point forward, she resolved to avoid all politics.

A great lover of the arts, she supported several prominent artists and musicians and arranged for weekly Polish choral concerts to be held at the Palace of Versailles. She was also an avid gambler and often found herself in debt.

The tomb of Queen Marie in the Basilica of St. Denis. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie died at the Palace of Versailles on June 24, 1768. She was buried at the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, while her heart was entombed at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours in Nancy. Having held her position for nearly 43 years, Queen Marie was the longest-serving Queen consort in the French monarchy.

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King Louis XV of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Louis XV of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Louis XV reigned as King of France from 1715 until 1774, succeeding his great-grandfather, King Louis XIV. He was born on February 15, 1710, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France, the third son of Prince Louis, Duke of Burgundy, and Princess Marie Adélaïde of Savoy. At birth, he was created Duke of Anjou. Louis had two older brothers, both also named Louis:

Louis had two older brothers, both also named Louis:

  • Louis, Duke of Brittany (1704 – 1705), died from convulsions
  • Louis, Duke of Brittany (1707 – 1712), died from measles

Shortly after his birth, his grandfather died suddenly, and his father became the direct heir to the throne. The following year, in February 1712, Louis’s mother died of measles. Within days, Louis’s father also succumbed to the illness, and both Louis and his surviving brother were also infected. On February 8, 1712, his elder brother died, and Louis became the Dauphin, heir to the throne.

Three years later, on September 1, 1715, King Louis XIV died, and the young Louis took the throne as King Louis XV. His great-grandfather had stipulated in his will that a Regency Council be established until Louis reached his majority. The Regency Council was led by King Louis XIV’s nephew, Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and included several of the late King’s legitimized sons.

Louis was raised by a governess, Madame de Ventadour, splitting his time between the Château of Vincennes, and the Tuileries Palace. His education was overseen by the Duke of Maine, one of his great-grandfather’s legitimized sons. Louis was placed in the care of François de Villeroy, an old friend of King Louis XIV, and was tutored by André-Hercule de Fleury (later Cardinal de Fleury). An avid student, the young King developed a wide variety of interests, particularly in science.

King Louis XV and Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, painted by Alexis Simon Belle. source: Wikipedia

In 1721, Louis was betrothed to his first cousin, Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, who was just 3 years old at the time. She was the daughter of Louis’s uncle, King Felipe V of Spain, and Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. However, Louis showed little interest in his young cousin or the prospect of marrying her. The marriage was later called off, and the young Spanish Infanta returned to Spain. She would later become Queen of Portugal as the wife of King José I.

King Louis XV in his coronation robes, source: Wikipedia

In 1722, Louis returned the court to the Palace of Versailles, where it would remain through his reign. In October of that year, he was crowned at Reims Cathedral. Following his majority in February 1723, Louis retained the Duke of Orléans as his first minister, and upon his death, appointed his cousin Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon. Bourbon was concerned that the King was not in the best health, and feared the House of Orléans would try to take the throne should the King die. He began searching for an appropriate bride for the King, preferably one old enough to bear children.

Maria Leszczyńska as Queen of France, source: Wikipedia

Before long, the search was narrowed, and a bride was selected. Maria Leszczyńska was the daughter of the deposed King Stanisław I of Poland. Although poor and considered rather plain-looking, Maria was determined to be the best choice, primarily because of her lack of alliance with any of the people involved in finding the King a wife. And the fact that she was Catholic and old enough to bear children immediately made the decision final. The couple was engaged on April 2, 1725, and married by proxy at the Strasbourg Cathedral on August 15. Several weeks later, the couple’s wedding took place at the Château de Fontainebleau on September 5, 1725, having only met in person for the first time the night before. Initially a love match, the couple enjoyed a happy marriage for several years, and had ten children:

Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress; Credit – Wikipedia

Louis soon began to take mistresses – beginning with Diane Adélaïde de Mailly, the first of four de Mailly sisters who would enjoy the King’s affections. Then, in February 1745, the King met Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson at a ball given in honor of the marriage of the Dauphin. Poisson, who would later become Marquise de Pompadour, was perhaps the King’s most famous mistress. Within weeks of meeting, she became the King’s chief mistress and was given apartments at the Palace of Versailles.  The King created her Marquise de Pompadour, as she could not be presented at court without holding a title.  Until her death, she remained one of the King’s closest friends and confidantes and had significant power within the court.  Of all of the King’s mistresses, Madame de Pompadour was the only one who maintained a respectful relationship with the Queen, to whom she later served as a lady-in-waiting.  Despite ending their romantic relationship in the early 1750s, she and the King remained devotedly close until she died in 1764.

Madame du Barry, painted by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. source: Wikipedia

The King’s last chief mistress was Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry, who first met the King in 1768.  After being formally presented at court in 1769, Madame du Barry remained with the King until his death.  Her extravagance would later help contribute to the downfall of the French monarchy.  King Louis was infatuated with his much younger lover and lavished her with gifts, including many priceless jewels.  In 1772, he commissioned a jeweler to create a diamond necklace that would be grander than any other.  Although the King died before the necklace was finished, it would later become the focus of a huge scandal in which Queen Marie Antoinette would be falsely accused.  See Wikipedia: The Affair of the Diamond Necklace.

King Louis XV, painted by Louis-Michel van Loo. source: Wikipedia

Just a few years after taking the throne, with economic and social discord in France caused by the Duke of Bourbon’s policies, the King dismissed him in 1726 and replaced him with Cardinal Fleury. Fleury’s leadership brought about perhaps the most prosperous years of the King’s reign. With the support of the King, Fleury stabilized and greatly expanded the French economy. Highways were built connecting the most remote parts of the country, and trade was greatly increased throughout the world. Peace was sought with England and Spain, aided greatly by the birth of a male heir in 1729, eliminating any succession crisis.

However, the King often deviated from Fleury’s policies. He intervened in the War of the Polish Succession, hoping to help restore his father-in-law to the Polish throne and to try to gain control of the Duchy of Lorraine. While he was unsuccessful in helping his father-in-law, he was able to take the Duchy of Lorraine. Under the terms of the Treaty of Vienna in 1738, the duchy was granted to the former King Stanisław, with the condition that it would eventually pass to King Louis.

King Louis XV’s reign saw France’s entry into the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740, with France gaining significant territory.  However, at the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, Louis returned the lands to their rightful owners.  For this, he was greatly praised throughout Europe but became very unpopular within his own country.  A few years later, the King would find France at war with Great Britain in the French and Indian War, and soon pulled into the Seven Years’ War.

The King was a victim of an assassination attempt in 1757.  While walking to his carriage in the Marble Courtyard at the Palace of Versailles, Robert-François Damiens stabbed the king with a small knife.  Fortunately, it was a relatively minor wound, and the King survived.

King Louis XV died of smallpox at the Palace of Versailles on May 10, 1774, and was buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. He was succeeded by his grandson, King Louis XVI.

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Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

Born twenty-one years after her eldest sibling, Princess Amelia was the sixth daughter and the youngest of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was born on August 7, 1783, at Lower Lodge (now called Royal Lodge), in Windsor, England, the only child of George III not to be born at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace).  Amelia was christened on September 18, 1783, in the Great Council Chamber at St. James’ Palace in London by John Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury.  She was named after her great-aunt, Princess Amelia, daughter of King George II. Her godparents were:

Princess Amelia in 1785 by John Hoppner; Credit – Wikipedia

Amelia had 14 siblings, but her brothers Octavius and Alfred both died shortly before her birth.

George III children

Queen Charlotte in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

George III had dearly loved his son Octavius, who had died at age four just three months before Amelia’s birth. Although George still mourned Octavius, Amelia’s birth helped to raise his spirits. The three younger sisters, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia were educated together, spending much time with Charlotte de Montmollin, their new French governess, who taught the sisters French and exquisite needlework. Jane Gomm joined the sisters in 1786 as an English teacher and supervised the remainder of their education. Mary, Sophia, and Amelia lived much of the time apart from their parents, sometimes with the younger brothers at Kew Palace, but most often at Lower Lodge (now called Royal Lodge) at Windsor. The three younger sisters were much less disciplined than the three elder sisters. The artist John Singleton Copley discovered this when he painted Sophia, Mary, and Amelia with the family pets in 1785. The children, the dogs, and the parrots would not cooperate. Somehow Copley managed to finish the painting, but he then returned to historical painting and never painted another portrait. The Copley painting is below.

Left to right: Sophia, Amelia, and Mary, The Three Youngest Daughters of King George III by John Singleton Copley, 1785; Credit – Wikipedia

The living conditions of King George III’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark. Christian’s mental illness led to Caroline Matilda having an affair, being caught, the execution of her lover, her exile, and her early death from scarlet fever at age 23. The story was told in several novels including Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) and in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012). Stella Tillyard also covers Caroline Matilda’s affair in her nonfiction book A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings (2006). Despite what happened to their aunt, the sisters longed to escape from “the Nunnery.”

Before King George’s first bout with what may have been porphyria in 1788, he had told his daughters that he would take them to Hanover to find husbands for them. Further bouts occurred in 1801 and 1804 and prevented talk of marriage for his daughters. Queen Charlotte feared that the subject of marriage, which had always bothered her husband, would push him back into insanity. She was stressed by her husband’s illness and wanted her daughters to remain close to her. The sisters – Charlotte, Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia – continued to be over-protected and isolated which restricted them from meeting eligible suitors.

In 1798, 15-year-old Amelia developed a pain in her knee and was sent to the seaside town of Worthing for recovery. She wrote to her father, “Certainly the vapour and warm sea bath are of use and therefore I hope that I shall be able to assure you that I am better.” This was the beginning of the poor health that would plague Amelia for the rest of her short life. Amelia’s symptoms indicated tuberculosis, which usually affects the lungs, but can also affect the joints. Her pain was severe and she was determined not to complain and she had to endure painful, frightening treatments.

Limited in exposure to eligible men, Amelia and several of her sisters became involved with courtiers and equerries. In 1801, Amelia went to the seaside town of Weymouth to take a cure. Accompanying Amelia was Colonel The Honorable Charles Fitzroy, an equerry to King George III and a son of Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton.  The name “Fitzroy” was often given to illegitimate children of British kings. Fitzroy was a great-great-great-grandson of King Charles II of England and his mistress Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, through their son Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Grafton.  While in Weymouth, the 18-year-old Amelia and Fitzroy, who was 21 years older, began an open romance despite the disapproval of her governess Jane Gomm. Amelia refused to hide the relationship, riding with Fitzroy and insisting on playing at his card table. Queen Charlotte learned of Amelia’s attraction to Fitzroy around 1803, but she kept it a secret from King George so he would not be upset. The Queen continually lectured Amelia about “this unpleasant business” which Amelia considered unforgivable.  She was determined to marry Fitzroy, but she knew the permission required by the Royal Marriages Act would never be given.

Princess Amelia by Andrew Robertson, 1807; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1810, Amelia was fatally ill with pulmonary tuberculosis. She was sent to the seaside at Weymouth on one last unsuccessful cure and returned in the autumn of 1810 when she was settled at Augusta Lodge at Windsor near her birthplace Lower Lodge (now Royal Lodge). Her father King George III visited her every day. Now in addition to tuberculosis, Amelia was suffering from erysipelas,  an acute skin infection. Before the advent of antibiotics, erysipelas frequently resulted in death. Amelia’s case of erysipelas was particularly severe with the rash literally from her head to her toes.

Amelia made a will and left all her clothing to her maid. She left everything else to Fitzroy with this note: “Should my cruel situation continue to separate our persons, be assured my heart is and long has been joined and united with yours. I live but for you, I love you with the purest affection, the greatest gratitude.” Amelia made one last attempt to marry Fitzroy when she asked her doctor to seek permission from her father to marry. The doctor, Sir Henry Halford, refused saying that it would “entail great wretchedness upon yourself and misery upon all the Royal Family for ages to come..this blow to the King’s peace of mind must be so heavy as to endanger the loss of His Majesty’s happiness but also of his health.” Amelia died on November 2, 1810, at the age of 27 with her sister Mary at her bedside. Mary wrote to Fitzroy, “My dear Fitzroy, Our beloved Amelia is no more but her last words to me were, ‘Tell Charles I die blessing him.'”

Amelia’s funeral occurred on November 13, 1810, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. Her sisters and mother, as was tradition, were not at her funeral, but her brothers “in floods of tears” attended as did Amelia’s ladies-in-waiting. Amelia was buried in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel. Her death is partly credited to the decline in her father’s health which resulted in his final insanity and the Regency Act of 1811.

by and published by A & G Minasi, after Louisa Anne Beresford (nÈe Stuart), Marchioness of Waterford, stipple engraving, published 1811

Princess Amelia by and published by A & G Minasi, after Louisa Anne Byam, stipple engraving, published 1811 NPG D33325 © National Portrait Gallery, London

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Works Cited
Fraser, Flora. Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. Print.
Hibbert, Christopher. George III. New York: Basic Books, 1998. Print.
“Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 30 July 2016. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.
Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.